Reading
Marketing Leadership
Nonprofit marketing in separate lanes
In most nonprofits I’ve worked with, marketing already runs in four lanes: development, communications, volunteer engagement and advocacy. Each does skilled work, and almost none of it is coordinated. I… Read
Why marketing feels busy but not effective
A Seattle realtor’s pipeline showed me why busy marketing stalls: activity without a defined job produces noise, and adding more activity makes it louder. Read
The quiet work of retention
Retention is marketing work, and in uncertain markets it may be the most important kind. How lifecycle strategy and value reinforcement keep growth steady. Read
Why marketing problems are often systems problems
Marketing problems that look tactical, like a weak website or slowing leads, usually trace back to the system underneath. Here is how I think it through. Read
On inflection points and layoffs
After layoffs or a market inflection point, the instinct is to cut or wait. A systems view of how marketing leadership can steady growth instead. Read
What is a fractional CMO, and when does a company need one?
A fractional CMO is part-time senior marketing leadership. Here’s when I think a company needs one, what my first month involves and when it’s a poor fit. Read
Marketing notices the job change first
As a company grows, the CEO’s job changes quietly. Marketing is often where those shifts surface first. Read
Coherence is the hard phase for founder-led companies
After the product works and before the next chapter is clear, founder-led companies often struggle with coherence. Why alignment matters most in that phase. Read
Staying on after the full-time marketing hire
The usual picture of fractional leadership ends when the full-time hire arrives. I think the handoff period matters more than that picture allows, and staying on carries its own tension. Read
